Biography

Bouchra Khalili’s videos and installations combine a conceptual approach with a documentary practice to explore issues of nomadism and clandestine existence, with the destiny of migrants being a specific focus.

For the last two decades, she has been developing a collaborative practice with undocumented workers and communities of immigrant descent in the Global North on topics related to imperial and colonial continuum and the politics of memory of anti-colonial struggle and international solidarity.

Her work questions issues of self-representation, public visibility and strategies of resistance of subjects rendered invisible by the nation-state. In her practice, she articulates first person accounts at the intersection of micro-history and collective memory of suppressed histories, challenging restrictive conceptions of citizenry.

Khalili's work has been presented in solo exhibitions at Bildmuseet, Umeå (Sweden, 2021); Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (2019); Museum Folkwang, Essen; Jeu de Paume National Gallery, Paris; MAXXI Museum, Rome; Vienna Secession (2018); CAAC, Sevilla (2017); Museum of Modern Art, New York (2016); MACBA, Barcelona (2015); and DAAD galerie, Berlin (2013), among others.

She has also participated in many group exhibitions, including documenta 14 Kassel, Athens; Triennale di Milano; Asian Biennial, Taipei (2017); 6th Marrakech Biennial (2016); 8th Gotenborg Biennale (2015); 55th Venice Biennale; 5th Moscow Biennial (2013); 18th Biennale of Sydney (2012); and 10th Sharjah Biennial (2011).

Born in 1975 in Casablanca, Morocco.

SAF participation:
March Meeting 2022
Sharjah Biennial 10 (2011)